Hard, Not Impossible, To Kill Fleas

Published: Saturday, July 5, 2014 at 8:59 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, July 5, 2014 at 8:59 p.m.

Heavy rainfall these past months have caused the ground to be saturated with moisture — perfect conditions for a record infestation of fleas.

Pet owners countywide are flooding into their groomers, asking for help to control the fleas that are making their pets' lives miserable. Many owners have been caught by surprise this year and are simply not providing adequate protection for their furry friends!

Once a flea infestation gets established in your home environment, it's tough to bring under control because the adult fleas produce thousands of baby fleas! The adult fleas you see on your pet are only 5 percent of the total flea problem. The other 95 percent of flea life cycle include tiny eggs, larvae and pupae (or cocoons), which live and hatch in your home or yard.

I want pet owners to know some freaky facts about fleas:

One flea can produce 2,000 eggs in its lifetime.

Fleas can bite your poor pet about 400 times a day.

While pets can become re-infested from sources other than the home (don't blame your groomer!), the majority of control requires a focus on what is happening at home.

Flea control products should be used at the correct dosage and year-round.

Fleas are more than a simple nuisance; they can cause disease in both people and pets. I see many dogs that have flea allergies and they come in bald and with red skin. Sometimes, I cannot use harsh flea shampoos if the skin is broken and infected. If your pet is chewing themselves raw, you have to ask your veterinarian for help.

Control requires killing the adult fleas and the other life cycle stages you can't see.

It usually takes several doses of flea control to break the flea life cycle.

Now for the good news: We can win the war against fleas! Ask your veterinarian about:

Safe products that continue to work on the pet for a full 30 days, actively killing the adult fleas

Insect growth regulators that kill the juvenile stages of the life cycle. Using a combination of these two products is the key. This eliminates flea infestations quickly and more completely.

Your groomer can apply safe flea shampoos that will kill the critters on the coat, but within a couple of days fleas can jump back in. We can also do flea dips, which kill and repel fleas for a longer period, but you still need to treat house and yard.

Pet owners should remember if you see adult fleas on a treated pet, this may mean they are simply not treating all the life stages or there is tremendous "pressure" from intense flea populations. Be sure to treat all the pets in your household every month to control and prevent re-infestation.

Other key points where failure can occur is incorrect application or using a product that washes off. Your groomer can help by taking care of the immediate fleas on the pet and recommending proper products that will help you solve this awful problem.

[ Dr. Mitsie Vargas is at Orchid Springs Animal Hospital in Winter Haven. She can be reached at drv@osahvets.com. ]

<p>Heavy rainfall these past months have caused the ground to be saturated with moisture — perfect conditions for a record infestation of fleas. </p><p>Pet owners countywide are flooding into their groomers, asking for help to control the fleas that are making their pets' lives miserable. Many owners have been caught by surprise this year and are simply not providing adequate protection for their furry friends!</p><p>Once a flea infestation gets established in your home environment, it's tough to bring under control because the adult fleas produce thousands of baby fleas! The adult fleas you see on your pet are only 5 percent of the total flea problem. The other 95 percent of flea life cycle include tiny eggs, larvae and pupae (or cocoons), which live and hatch in your home or yard. </p><p>I want pet owners to know some freaky facts about fleas:</p><p>One flea can produce 2,000 eggs in its lifetime.</p><p>Fleas can bite your poor pet about 400 times a day.</p><p>While pets can become re-infested from sources other than the home (don't blame your groomer!), the majority of control requires a focus on what is happening at home.</p><p>Flea control products should be used at the correct dosage and year-round.</p><p>Fleas are more than a simple nuisance; they can cause disease in both people and pets. I see many dogs that have flea allergies and they come in bald and with red skin. Sometimes, I cannot use harsh flea shampoos if the skin is broken and infected. If your pet is chewing themselves raw, you have to ask your veterinarian for help.</p><p>Control requires killing the adult fleas and the other life cycle stages you can't see.</p><p>It usually takes several doses of flea control to break the flea life cycle. </p><p>Now for the good news: We can win the war against fleas! Ask your veterinarian about: </p><p>Safe products that continue to work on the pet for a full 30 days, actively killing the adult fleas </p><p>Insect growth regulators that kill the juvenile stages of the life cycle. Using a combination of these two products is the key. This eliminates flea infestations quickly and more completely.</p><p>Your groomer can apply safe flea shampoos that will kill the critters on the coat, but within a couple of days fleas can jump back in. We can also do flea dips, which kill and repel fleas for a longer period, but you still need to treat house and yard.</p><p>Pet owners should remember if you see adult fleas on a treated pet, this may mean they are simply not treating all the life stages or there is tremendous "pressure" from intense flea populations. Be sure to treat all the pets in your household every month to control and prevent re-infestation. </p><p>Other key points where failure can occur is incorrect application or using a product that washes off. Your groomer can help by taking care of the immediate fleas on the pet and recommending proper products that will help you solve this awful problem.</p><p>[ Dr. Mitsie Vargas is at Orchid Springs Animal Hospital in Winter Haven. She can be reached at drv@osahvets.com. ]</p>